Park Lots 7 & 8

Mutual Street to Yonge Street

On 28 June 1799, John McGill and his wife Catherine sold the northern 60 acres of Park Lot 7 to the Honourable John Elmsley for £150.

John Elmsley died in 1805, leaving the northern 60 acres of Park Lot 7 to his widow, Mary Elmsley.

John McGill retained the southern 40 acres of Park Lot 7, combining it with part of Park Lot 8. (See below.)

Park Lot 8: Bond Street to Yonge Street. Granted to George Playter, 4 September 1793. The patent was issued 24 August 1796.

On 17 June 1797, George Playter and his wife Elizabeth sold the southern 40 acres of Park Lot 8 to the Honourable John McGill.

On 25 February 1799, George Playter and his wife sold the northern 60 acres of Park Lot 8 to the Honourable John Elmsley.

John Elmsley died in 1805, leaving the property to his widow, Mary Elmsley. She sold a 25-acre portion of the northern portion of Park Lot 8 to Alexander Wood on 16 October 1826

Above: This detail of the patent plan of York Township shows the narrow 100-acre Park Lots stretching between today's Queen Street and Bloor Street. A patent plan was an important working document in the surveyor's office showing the land ownership. Perhaps as early as 1796, this plan certainly dates from prior to 1834 when the Town of York changed to the City of Toronto. (Patent Plans, “York Township”, [178?]-[ca. 1978], Archives of Ontario, RG 1-100)